Joyful Art

Drawing a blue iris flower using oil pastel. Step-by-step demonstration.

2014-03-30T20:42:00.000+02:00

In this post I will demonstrate a drawing process of a blue iris flower using oil pastel. Oil Pastels is a very interesting graphic material. Drawings created using it are preserved for many years without loosing its brightness. Oil pastel has a rich color palette and allows you to create vivid works with clear bright strokes.

Sea shell painting using multilayer watercolors technique. Step-by-step demonstration.

2014-03-30T20:30:00.006+02:00

This is a demonstration of a sea shell painting using multilayer watercolors technique. We will apply several transparent layers to achieve the desirable result.

Strawberries in watercolors. Step-by-step demonstration.

2014-03-28T16:19:00.000+02:00

I would like to share with you the process of strawberries painting using watercolors. I used multilayer watercolor technique, as it allows to create very detailed paintings.
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Paintings of Nikolay Roerich

2013-09-23T13:38:00.000+02:00

Nikolay Roerich (1874 - 1947) was a great philosopher and painter. If you have a chance to read his theosophic books "Agni Yoga", "Shambhala" and other works, you will understand that he was a highly spiritual person with a massage that opens people's hearts and minds. He was painting in symbolism style mainly using egg tempera.

Oil Painting "Tears of Happiness"

2013-09-22T22:49:00.002+02:00

I have tried a new technique while creating this painting. First, I started it as an ordinary painting in "a la prima" technique, but noticed that the idea of the painting was not matching it. The idea was deeper. So, I repainted it and made it in two layers: monochrome umber painting and then the color layer. This experience was very interesting to me. Thanks to it I decided to study multi-layer painting technique that old master were using, when they applied many thin layers of oil paints to achieve deep and harmonious painting.

This painting is currently for sale.

Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci

2013-09-22T22:35:00.000+02:00

All of us know Leonardo da Vinci as a genius and one of the greatest painters of all the time but we rarely remember his contribution to other sciences, such as architecture, anatomy, biology, mathematics, etc. I offer to have a look at some of his scientific drawings:

New paintings from Kazakhstan

2013-06-26T12:16:00.001+02:00

Recently I came back from my vacation in Kazakhstan. I was lucky to catch beautiful spring time and the beginning of summer and to enjoy beginning of nature flourishing. These paintings were painted from nature:

Tulips in glass

30 x 40 cm

Oil on canvas

Lilacs

18.5 x 27 cm

Oil on canvas

Lilac in Garden

22.5 х 15 cm

oil on canvas

White Wild Roses

22.5 х 15 cm

oil on canvas

Plain Air Painting

2012-09-22T19:41:00.001+02:00

This is my new plain air painting of Suez Canal. I was painting while my husband and son were fishing. It was a great family holiday!

I truly enjoy plain air painting! It is like breathing in fresh air and breathing it out on canvas.

Pastel Rose on Handmade Paper

2012-08-25T22:21:00.000+02:00

I've been thinking about making paper by myself for my pastel paintings for a long time, checking some tutorials, reading related information...This is my first attempt. It is completely handmade paper sheet colored with natural materials. I found it very suitable for pastel painting.

I am planning to continue my experiments with handmade paper as I have a lot of ideas awaiting realization.

History of Soft Pastel. Famous Pastel Paintings.

2012-07-30T20:31:00.001+02:00

Soft pastel is one of the most beautiful artistic mediums with fabulous colours and velvet surface that reached to us from the Renaissance time. It is a pure pigment with a small amount of gum Arabic (binder). Due to its smudging, artists were always worried for their artworks safety and protected them by glass. The German painter and art theorist Anton Raphael Mengs compared pastel artworks with flowers and butterflies in the gardens of art. Many art specialists attempted to find a perfect way to fix pastel on paper surface in order to make life of pastel pictures longer. Unfortunately, all fixatives invented till now changed its original range of colours and ruined its natural creaminess and fluffiness.

Message from the Future

2012-07-25T15:27:00.003+02:00

There is an interesting meditation that everyone can practice. When you need to get an answer about your life or your business, imagine yourself after some years. Imagine that you have reached all you targets and have what you want to have. Try to imagine clearly your house, your business, family, yourself, pay attention to all details. Make a kind of tour around your future life and then ask yourself in the future the questions, which are important for you, or advises. It has nothing common with prediction or future telling. It helps you to get information that you already have deeply in your mind but cannot reach. However this meditation can give you more information that you expect. For example, when I imagined myself and my studio in the future, I saw a painting. I saw it very clearly in all details. I painted it with oil pastel and keep it always in front of me when I am working. It is like a message for me from my future.

Wings

oil pastel, 30 x 40 cm

Step-by-step Demonstration of Orchids Painting

2012-07-22T00:32:00.000+02:00

I love orchids. When I look at them, I always remember how amazing our nature is. Many flowers grow from the same root, but each of them is unique. Their beauty attracts us and we enjoy looking at them again and again.

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Painting in Kazakhstan

2012-07-01T20:31:00.000+02:00

Here are the pictures that I have painted during my vacation in Kazakhstan.

Above Clouds

60 x 80 cm

Oil on canvas

2012

Apple Blossoms

30 x 40 cm

Oil on canvas

2012

Bouquet of Lilacs

30 x 40 cm

Oil on canvas paper

2012

Golden Heart

20 x 30 cm

Oil pastel

2012

Stairs

30 x 40 cm

Oil on canvas paper

2012

Tulips

30 x 40 cm

Oil paints and oil pastel on canvas paper

2012

Sunset painting

2012-03-27T21:24:00.000+02:00

This is my latest painting (40 x 30 cm, oil on special paper for oil painting):

I have painted this sunset using only three colors: blue, orange and white. It was very interesting to mix these three paints in different proportions to get different shades.

Shell with Pearls

2012-03-05T20:31:00.002+02:00

I am happy to present my new painting of the sea shell. I painted it with pastel few months earlier. This time I painted it with oil. I find this shell very interesting. You can study it for hours enjoying every little detail and when you turn it, you see it from another interesting perspective.

This is oil painting:

And this is pastel:

Grape Painting

2011-12-20T21:27:00.001+02:00

I find painting still lifes with fruits interesting and challenging, as I need to complete them before all fruits are eaten. It took me three days to paint this bunch of grapes. I was finishing it when there was no grapes left, all were eaten by my little son.

Pastel Orchids

2011-11-28T22:59:00.001+02:00

Finally I finished painting my Pink Orchids. Since a long time I've been thinking to paint them but always delayed for different reasons. If you look at them closely, orchids remind butterflies sitting on a stem. They are so beautiful! I enjoyed painting my orchids and I hope, you'll enjoy watching them!

Pastel Painting

2011-11-28T22:35:00.001+02:00

I tried painting with pastel after rain few days ago. It was amazing! Now I know the difference between pastel painting and pastel drawing! I am using a very soft kind of pastel made in St. Petersburg, so when there is high humidity, this pastel applies to paper almost like thick paint and the art creation process reminds painting more than drawing. This is the result of my experiment:

Colors Symbolism and Effect on People

2011-04-08T00:32:00.000+02:00

Different colours have different effect on people, their mood and feelings. Some colours evoke romantic feelings, others - aggression or aloofness. Knowledge about colours effect and symbolism helps to choose the right color in paintings, interior design and fashion.

Red

Red is the most emotionally intense color. It fastens heartbeat and breathing. It is also the colour of love and passion. Excessive red can evoke aggression. In art, red is usually used as an accent as it always attracts attentions. It is used to spur people’s actions for example for sales purpose.

Pink
Pink is the most romantic colour. It is the colour of youth, tenderness, naivety and carelessness. Pink surrounding is very tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink to make their opponents lose energy.

Blue
Blue is the colour of sky and sea. Deep blue symbolizes mystery. The effect of blue colour is opposite to red. It calms and relaxes people. It is widely used for bedrooms and kids’ rooms. It is peaceful and tranquil; however, it can be cold and depressing. Studies show that people are more productive in blue rooms.

Green
Green symbolizes nature, life, fertility. Brides in middle ages wore green dresses that implied fertility. Deep green is the colour of wealth. Green is most popular colour in decoration. It is calming and refreshing colour. Green also improves vision and relaxes eyes.

Yellow
Yellow colour always attracts attentions. At the same time it is the most difficult color for eyes to take in. Yellow increases concentration and speeds metabolism. This sunny color always associated with warmth and optimism. However, it is noticed that babies cry in yellow rooms more often and people loose their tempers often when they are surrounded by yellow color.

Brown
Solid, reliable brown is the colour of earth and nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men favour brown colour more often than women.

Purple
Purple symbolizes royalty, luxury, wealth, and sophistication. Light purple is more romantic, dark – is more philosophic.

Black

Black is the colour of authority and power. It is stylish and timeless. It is widely used in fashion as black clothes are never out of time and make people look thinner. It also implies devotion to a person or to religion. A woman dressing black can imply submission to a man.

White

White colour symbolizes innocence and purity.

Gouache overview

2011-04-08T00:08:00.000+02:00

Gouache colours are a popular medium for beginning and amateur artists, designers and illustrators. This article contains useful information about gouache, its features and usage.

What is Gouache?

Gouache is opaque watercolour prepared with gum arabic.

History of Gouache

There are different versions of gouache history. One of them says that it was discovered by an Italian monk in the 11^th Century by adding zinc white to watercolours. Since that time, gouache was considered as a type of watercolours for many Centuries. It was never so popular medium as watercolours and oil colours; however, nowadays its popularity grows more and more. The reason for this are gouache properties that allow to reach great results in technical and graphic illustrations, decorative and fine art.

Gouache Properties

Gouache is known for mattness, brightness and intensity of colours. Unlike classic watercolours it has high covering power, so it is possible to apply light layers of colours above dark ones. There are several types of gouache: classic and acrylic, art and poster gouache. Classic gouache painting can be easily moisturized and edited after drying, while acrylic gouache becomes waterproof. Art gouache features more natural colours than poster. Poster gouache has very bright colours ideal for poster drawing.

Supports for Gouache Painting

Gouache can be used on any kind of paper or canvas. The only limitation - it must not have oily surface.

Gouache Usage

Gouache is very easy to use. That is why it is recommended to art students to sharpen their painting techniques on gouache before they start using oil colours. All you need for gouache painting is paper, palette, brushes, water and gouache.

Useful Tips

Gouache colours can be mixed with each other in order to reach to the desired hue. To reach a lighter colour, white colour can be used. Such famous gouache producers as LEFRANC & BOURGEOIS produce two types of white colour: mixing white and permanent white (the first one is used for mixing with other colours, the second one – for applying above other layers as it has higher covering power).

Add sufficient amount of water to make gouache as liquid as shampoo or dishwashing liquid.

Avoid applying very thick layers, as it can cause cracking of your painting later.

Note that gouache colours change after drying. Light colours become darker while dark colours become lighter. With experience, you will know what to expect from every colour you use. Another solution can be using small containers for your palette. Place each colour of you palette in a small container with cover (to keep it wet) and stick a piece of paper on it with a colour sample. By this way you can keep the colours you use the most always ready for painting and see how they will look like after drying.

How to Develop Colour Perception

2011-04-07T23:46:00.000+02:00

The article contains the theory of colour perception and a very useful exercise that anyone can use in order to develop this skill.

Every subject in the world has its own colour. We can recognize some of them thanks to their colours. We know that grass is green, the sun is yellow, sky and sea are blue. We know that ripe apples are red and unripe – green. Seasons can be distinguished by the colour of leaves on trees: light green in spring, deep green in summer and yellow or orange in autumn.

Scientists believe that ability of colour perception develops with evolution and age of people.

Thus, people of ancient Greece and Egypt recognized fewer colours. This theory is proved by the colour palette they used for their art that is usually limited by yellow, ochre, brown and red shades.

At present, eyes of a mature person can recognize up to 350 colours and shades. However the ability of colour perception is very individual. When children learn to recognize colours their colour palette is limited to the basic colours. It is clearly seen on children’s drawings. Many of them grow up with limited colour perception. For example, two shades of one colour that can be easily distinguished by a person with developed colour perception seem the same for a person with limited ability of colour recognition.

Consequently, two questions arise: why people need to develop colour perception ability and how it can be developed?

It is known that colours effect on people’s emotions, mental state and even physical body. The ability of colour perception allows people to fully enjoy the life in its beauty and diversity.

There are many ways of developing colour perception. One of them is to surround you with original art. It can be beautiful pictures, handmade souvenirs and professionally designed interior. That is why it is highly recommended for parents to decorate children’s rooms with original art instead of posters with cartoon characters.

Another way is paying attention to colours. See, how shades of the same objects are changing depending on light illumination and surrounding objects. For example, if you place a yellow lemon on red surface it will get reddish shades from down, on green surface – greenish. The same lemon illuminated by electricity light will have cold yellow colour with warm shadow, when illuminated by sun light its colour will appear warmer and its shadow colder. Pay attention to landscape colours in different times of day. In the morning colours are cold, illuminated by midday sunshine they are warm. In the evening surfaces and object reflect colours of sunset or night illumination sources (street lamps).

The following exercise is very helpful for those who want to feel colours deeper. Choose one word from each column and try to imagine a scene. Think, which colours can transfer the mood of the picture, time and idea. Paint of draw pictures using varied mediums, such as gouache, water colours, pastel, colour pencils, etc.

Feeling Object Time or weather Place

Happy Cat Morning Garden

Sad Soldier Rainy Castle

Friendly Horse Sunny Forest

Angry Dog Snowy Desert

Scared Girl Windy Sea

Mystery Traveller Midday River

Calm Old woman Night Room

Surprised Sailor Midst Road

Brave Bird Storm Mountains

Confused Boy Sunset Street

Sunflower Inspiration

2010-10-10T02:48:00.000+02:00

Sunflowers are a frequent subject of art and a source of inspiration for artists. Beginners and masters, painters and graphic artists depict sunflowers on their pictures.

Sunflowers in Symbolism
Sunflowers' heads follow the sun and looks like the sun due to its colors and shape. People usually associate sunflowers with warmth and adoration. In heraldry sunflowers symbolize sunshine, prosperity and peace. Psychologists noticed that watching them help people to cope with stress and depression.

Famous Sunflowers
The two most famous artists who depicted sunflowers probably were Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh.
Oscar-Claude Monet, a famous French artist, painted his sunflowers by oil on canvas in 1881. At present, the picture is located in New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Oscar-Claude Monet. Bouquet of Sunflowers. 1881.

Metropolian Museum of Art, New York.

Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch post-Impressionist, left for us several sunflower still lifes.

Vincent Van Gogh. Four Cut Sunflowers. Oil on Canvas. 1887.

Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo.

Vincent Van Gogh. Vase with Twelve Sunflowers. Oil on Canvas. August, 1888.

Neue Pinakothek, Munich.

Vincent Van Gogh. Vase with Twelve Sunflowers. Oil on Canvas. August, 1888.

Located in London National Gallery.

Vincent Van Gogh. Sunflowers. Oil on Canvas.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Sunflower definitive stamps Book of 20 x 42 cent us U.S. Postage Stamps

Sunflower House (Books for Young Readers)

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness (Newly Expanded Paperback Edition)

Sunflowers

How to take a photo of a picture

2010-10-10T00:20:00.000+02:00

Taking photos of pictures is quite different from taking photos of people, nature and other objects. A photo taken by an unexperienced photographer can spoil all impression of a picture and even Photoshop will not help to correct the image. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use help of a professional to take a photo. Anyway, if you have decided to take a photo by yourself, here some basic advices on how to make it.

Pictures of a size less then A4 can be scanned. Scan preserves all colors and details of a picture. You can easily use it later for uploading to Internet and printing.
Take a photo of your picture outdoors during day time. Artificial light at home is not enough to take a quality picture.
Disable flash. Never use flash for picture shooting as it illuminates some parts of a picture more than needed.
Disable time and date display.
Use a tripod. It will help you to avoid the effect of shaking hands.
The camera has to be directed to the center of the picture and strictly perpendicular.
Do not take a shot from a very close distance. Fix camera few meters from the picture and zoom it.
Before taking a shot, make sure that no shadows drop on the picture.

One more advice: always keep quality photos of all your pictures. You never know then you may need them.

See also:
Fujifilm FinePix S1800 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom
and 3-Inch LCD
Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch Articulating LCD
Nikon Coolpix L22 12.0MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)

How to choose a picture for children room

2010-10-06T02:05:00.000+02:00

If you decided to decorate your kids’ room by yourself, you need to know how to choose pictures for it. There are many aspects of this task like color, subject, size, place and cost.

Colors

Have a look at your kid’s room. What colors dominate in its design and furniture? Determine three main colors and try to choose a picture in the same color spectrum. For example, if the main colors are green, orange and red, do not choose a picture, where the dominant color is pink, it will not match the interior. You also need to avoid dark images and backgrounds. Most of children like pictures with vivid colors and clear images. They like to see clearly what is depicted on a picture, not to guess and imagine. Otherwise they can imagine something, you never wanted them to.

Subject of a picture for children room

If your child is grown up enough allow him to choose a picture by himself. Boys usually like cars, trains, planes, etc. Girls like flowers, animals, dolls…

Never place scary pictures in your kid’s room, even it depicts a Halloween pumpkin. Children have very vivid imagination. They can imagine something even scarier than you can see on that picture and it may cause such problems as insomnia and nerve disorders. For the same reason psychologists recommend to avoid placing in the kid's room pictures with human faces.

Picture size and place

Picture size depends on empty space available and zones separation. For example, if you have only a bed next to a wall, you can put a large picture on it (for example, 50x30 cm). If you have sleeping and studying zones along one wall, you can put two small pictures, one above each zone. If you decide to put different pictures on opposite walls, use pictures of different sizes and colors. For example, you can hang one large picture on one wall and two small on the other one.

Picture price

High quality pictures for children rooms are really expensive and their price can reach up to a thousand dollars. It is up to you to decide whether you want to invest such an amount into a picture for your kid. The positive thing is that quality pictures help children to develop good taste and understanding of aesthetic beauty. In addition, expensive pictures can be transferred from generation to generation in your family and become a family tradition. Another choice is to buy a picture print or a poster. It is much, much cheaper of course and can save you a lot of money for other important things.

See also:
Art4Kids Go Man Go Airplane Mounted Art Print -12"x12"
Art4Kids Mallory Giraffe Mounted Art Print - 08"x20"
Art4Kids Posie Power Mounted Art Print -36"x12"
Art4Kids Laughter Music Mounted Art Print -18"x12"
Art4Kids Fireside Bunnies Mounted Art Print -16"x20"

Contemporary Art History

2010-10-02T23:17:00.000+02:00

Contemporary Art period started in the second half of the 19^th Century. Usually the beginning of it considered to be the year of 1863, when Salon des Refusés was opened in Paris where all pictures that has been rejected by the official salon were placed. One of the famous artists of that period who exhibited his works in Salon des Refusés was Edouard Manet. Contemporary art history is divided into several periods.

Beginning of Contemporary Art, the Second Part of the19th Century

It starts with movements of Romanticism, Realism and Impressionism.

Romantics brought sensibility and expressiveness into visual art that was rejected and confronted by Classicism that was dominating before. The most famous romantic artists are Thomas Cole, Francisco Goya, J.M.W Turner, Eugène Delacroix, Samuel Palmer.

A Dream in the Appenine. Samuel Palmer. 1864.

The main idea of Realism was depicting life as it is without idealization. Realists were presenting ordinary people in their usual surroundings. Among important realists in visual art were Rosa Bonheur, Karl Briullov, Ilya Repin, Gustav Courbet.

Horse Fair. Rosa Bonheur. 1835.

Impressionists were the first who started to paint outdoors. They were trying to capture real atmosphere, light effects and colors of nature. They made a revolution in painting techniques by using short brush strokes of pure colors. For example they blue and pink strokes in order to reach to violet color without mixing colors on a palette. Impressionists emphasized colors and visual effects not detailing geometric forms.Among famous impressionists were Claud Monet, Pierre-August Renoir and Berthe Morisot.

Water Lilies. Claud Monet. 1916.

At the end of the 19th Century Post-impressionism and Symbolism appear. Post-impressionists continued using vivid colors, sometimes much more bright that in reality, but paid more attention to forms than impressionists.

Subjects of Symbolists' paintings were closely related to imaginary world like dreams and fairy-tales. Nicholas Roerich, Mikhail Vrubel, Gustav Moreau, Elena Gorokhova were among outstanding representatives of this movement in visual art.

Mikhail Vrubel. Swang Princess. 1900.

Contemporary Art in the Beginning of the 20th Century

Beginning of the 20th Century was marked by such movements as Cubism, Fauvism, Expressionism and Futurism. In 1914, the first surrealistic work was presented by Giorgio de Chirico.

Love Song. Giorgio de Chirico. 1914.

However the beginning of Surrealism is considered the year of 1924 when Surrealist Manifesto was published by Andre Breton. The main idea of Surrealists was irrational combination of imaginary and real world in their works. Other famous artists working in surrealistic style are Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy and Salvador Dali.

The Persistence of Memory. Salvador Dali. 1931.

To be continued...